Shoobies, take note: Even cheery beach towns may have their dark corners. In the short story anthology Murder-Oke! And Other Spooky Cape May Tales, Terry O’Brien, a columnist at Cape May newspaper Exit Zero, pulps the place by setting stories about karaoke killers, drunk thieving elves and purgatory in the original seaside resort. Forgive the cheesy “Murder-Oke!” tale — which groans under the weight of too many jokes only locals get or care about — and O’Brien has put together a sharp, readable homage to a genre suited for beach reading. — Jen A. Miller

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